Page 48 of No Bed Of Roses

Sure enough, Sean emerged from the trees with his gun drawn and moved toward the water. Levi released Hopper, and the dog walked forward. No growling this time.

Levi straightened but didn’t move until she saw Marcus emerge from the trees and then call, “All clear.”

Levi turned and took her hand. “You okay?”

She nodded, but the shaking suddenly overtook her entire body. He wrapped her in a tight hug, and they stood for a minute before he kissed her hair. “Let’s go see what they found.”

Isla breathed deeply and forced down the panic that still wanted to take over. Someone had shot at them and Hopper. How was she supposed to stay calm?

Levi kept his gun in his right hand and took her hand with his left. None of the others reacted to them emerging from the bush. They probably knew she’d needed a minute to get herself together. That should have bothered her, but it didn’t. These men were trained warriors. She wove the DNA of plants together.

There was only maybe a yard and a half of land before the edge of the creek. It was a natural waterway and didn’t have straight edges. It meandered with clusters of rocks and grasses along the edge. Some parts looked worn, as if people had used them to launch boats over the years.

The creek was probably twenty feet wide in some spots, only five or six in others. Natural plants grew along the edges, and it looked to be at least a few feet deep in the middle. A good creek to supply the neighboring farms with water.

Levi looked up and down the waterway. “I didn’t hear a motor. If they had a boat, they rowed or paddled their way for at least a bit.”

Marcus nodded. “I imagine this would be a good place to canoe or kayak. Easy to slip in and out unnoticed. Okay, tell us what happened. I was on my way here when Sean called, saying he’d heard gunshots.”

Levi recounted what had happened, and all the men frowned. Sean looked between her and Levi. “So you were standing in the field, completely open targets. There were two shots, and neither touched either of you.”

With blood still racing through her veins, she hadn’t thought of that.

Levi nodded. “If they’d wanted to kill either or both of us, it would have been easy to do.”

She shuddered, and he squeezed her hand. “Sorry.”

Isla smiled. “No need to be sorry. I need to know what’s going on. So, if he wasn’t trying to hurt anyone, why was he shooting? Could it have been a hunter?”

All the men frowned, and Marcus answered. “Doubtful, but possible. There aren’t any open seasons right now. The closest is when turkey hunting season opens in a few weeks. It’s possible it could have been someone hunting illegally and then taking off so he didn’t get caught. But I’m not a fan of coincidences.”

Neither was she. “So, either someone is a terrible shot, or they were trying to scare me off?”

Marcus shrugged. “Potentially. Or Hopper found them and surprised them enough to mess up their aim.”

She gasped. “If that’s the case, the second shot could have been aimed at him.”

Another nod.

Hopper growled again from where he stood at the water’s edge a few yards away. Levi moved immediately. “Did you find something, Hopper?”

When he left her side, Troy moved in to take his place. Not leaving her vulnerable. These were some amazing men.

Levi knelt on the ground beside the dog and peered into the water. Marcus reached his side and took out his phone and some gloves. He took some pictures and then donned the gloves. He reached into the water to pull something out.

Levi patted Hopper. “Good boy, Hopper.”

“What did he find?”

Marcus grinned and turned to them. “Hopefully, the clue we’ve been looking for.”

He held up a set of car keys.

Levi wanted to roar in triumph. The keys might not belong to the shooter, and the shooter might not be Glen Hicks, but it was finally a physical piece of evidence they could work with. “Any chance you can find out if Glen Hicks owns a Ford?”

Marcus frowned at that. He put the keys in an evidence bag he pulled out of a pocket. “About that. I’ve got some news. That’s why I was heading out here. Let’s spend a few minutes searching for anything else that might have been left behind, and then we can head inside, and I’ll get you caught up.”

Isla turned to him. “Tell us now.”

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